This is another guest post by my friend Alexia. Alexia is a Disney Vacation Specialist with Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Click here to contact her and she’ll help you find the best rates for your magical vacation!
If you are anything like me, you pack your entire medicine cabinet and enough Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer to last your family a year when you go on vacation. As much as you think you are prepared, illness and/or injuries could happen at any time. Here is everything you need to know about how to handle when sickness or injuries strike at Disney World:
If you suffer from a minor illness or injury such as a headache, upset stomach, runny nose, or blister while at the parks, head to the first-aid station. These first-aid stations are staffed by licensed nurses who can give you over the counter medicines, bandages, ice packs, etc. for free. At the Magic Kingdom, the first-aid station is located at the end of Main Street, between Casey’s Corner and Crystal Palace. At Epcot, the first-aid station is located at Odyssey Center, between Future World and World Showcase. At Hollywood Studios, the first-aid station is located at Guest Relations building on Hollywood Boulevard. At Animal Kingdom, the first-aid station is located at Discovery Island, behind Creature Comforts. At Typhoon Lagoon, the first-aid station is located behind Leaning Palms. At Blizzard Beach, the first-aid station is located between Lottawatta Lodge and Beach Haus.
If you suffer from a minor illness or injury while at your resort, the resort gift shop should have everything you need. If it is late and the gift shop is not open, call the front desk. They will usually open up the shop for you so you can get what you need. Although I cannot confirm this, I have heard many people say that they were given what they needed from the gift shop for free if they asked for it when the shop was closed.
If you suffer from a moderate illness or injury such as an ear infection or persistent fever while at the parks, head to the first-aid station or alert a cast member. They can call one of the local Urgent Care Centers for you. Both Buena Vista Urgent Care and Centra Care are close and offer a complimentary shuttle service to and from the Disney property. The shuttle service will usually stop at Walgreen’s for you as well if you need to fill a prescription.
If you suffer from a moderate illness or injury while at your resort, call the front desk. Again, they can call one of the Urgent Care Centers for you. If you do not want to leave your resort (and are willing to pay for it), the front desk can have a doctor come to your hotel room. Doctors on Call Service (Docs) will send a licensed physician to your resort to treat you.
If you suffer from a major illness or injury while in the parks, call 9-1-1 or alert the nearest cast member. They will call the Disney paramedics (yes, Disney does actually have paramedics) who are usually on the scene in less than five minutes. The Disney ambulance will transport you to the nearest hospital, which is Florida Hospital Celebration Health.
If you suffer from a major illness or injury while at your resort, call 9-1-1 or call the front desk. Again, the Disney paramedics will arrive and transport you to Florida Hospital Celebration Health.
One of the many things I love about Walt Disney World is the fact that the cast members go above and beyond to take care of the guests. I have heard many stories of guests needing to take a cab back to their resort from the hospital, only to be reimbursed by the front desk when they return. I have also heard many stories of guests returning to their resort from the hospital or urgent care to balloons and stuffed animals waiting for them just to try to spread a little Disney magic during a difficult time.
Have you ever had a medical emergency while at Disney World? Did the cast members take care of you and your family? I would love to hear your thoughts!
For past posts about Disney, click here.
Renee C says
I came down with a UTI overnight while on a Disney trip in 2013, and it was so easy to get it taken care of. We were staying at Port Orleans Riverside, and the resort staff called the urgent care shuttle for me in the morning while my husband and the kids went off to the Magic Kingdom. The urgent care they took me to was not at all crowded and had a pharmacy on site – I was seen, got the meds I needed, and was able to meet my family in the park by 11 am.